Noodles with Vegetables & Peanut Sauce

Pike Street Market, Seattle, Washington

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3 tablespoons peanut butter
1 tablespoon hoisin sauce*
2 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon honey (or alternative sweetener)
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1 teaspoon hot chili paste
1/2 cup warm water
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
3 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger root
3 green onions, chopped
1/2 pound fresh Shiitake mushrooms or button mushrooms, sliced
1 sweet red pepper, sliced
1 bunch broccoli, trimmed and cut into florets
2 carrots, thinly sliced
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro or parsley
1/3 cup chopped fresh basil

Blend together peanut butter, hoisin sauce, soy sauce, lemon juice, honey, sesame oil, chili paste and water. Reserve. Heat oil in wok or large skillet. Add garlic, ginger and green onions. Cook gently for 1 or 2 minutes,until very fragrant. Add mushrooms and red pepper and cook until tender. Add peanut butter mixture and heat for 1 minute. Reserve.

Meanwhile, bring large pot of water to a boil. Add spaghetti and cook for 5 minutes. Add broccoli and carrots and cook for 5 minutes longer. Drain. Combine sauce with spaghetti and vegetables. Toss with cilantro and basil.

Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary. You can also try rice stick instead of the pasta. It will require softening in hot water rather than boiling and is well worth the effort.

*Hoisin Sauce: A thick sauce valued for its unique combination of sweet and spicy flavors, hoisin sauce is made from soybean paste and flavored with garlic, sugar, chilies, and other spices and ingredients. It is used in cooking, as a dipping sauce, and is a key ingredient in many Chinese barbecue sauce recipes. In addition, it is also used to glaze roasted meat. Hoisin sauce is available in both jars and cans. If purchased in a can, transfer to a closed container and refrigerate. If purchased in a jar, refrigerate after opening.

Comforts & Pleasures

Strange how a teapot can represent at the same time the comforts of solitude and the pleasures of company. 

~Author Unknown ~

Teapots on my mantle:

Left ~ Arthur Wood, Staffordshire, England

Right ~ Lily Creek Landing, United States 

Participating in Bernideen's Tea Time meme today.

The Flowers of Friendship

Since I don't have a design wall, finding a place to layout a quilt for planning takes some invention. Since this is a "design as you go" project, I decided there was no better place to lay it out than on the bed! 

After text messages and pictures sent back and forth between Karleen and me, this is the design that I've selected. Karleen's computer expertise and experimentation on Quilt Pro for Mac were very helpful! It has figured the remaining yardage requirements and measurements for pieces. Pretty neat!

Since this is a work in progress, it has not yet been determined if a border or two will be added around the edge. I know this is all backwards, but I am having fun! Stay tuned!

 Although quilt designing and figuring had much of my attention, I took time to walk through the yard to see what flowers were in bloom. I was surprised at some that I found. For example, the little blue forget-me-nots always bloom earlier in the spring when I expect. I took pictures so you could enjoy them too! 

The Thundercloud plum was abuzz with happy bees!

I hope you have a wonderful day! May these flowers bring you more than a touch of cheer!

It's time for a cup of tea. Have you had yours today?

The Blossoms of Spring!

Flowers! It is spring and things are starting to blossom! They've inspired me to work on my 9-patch, floral quilt. Yesterday I finished stitching 54 large squares, each with nine smaller squares. The soft, pastel color of the flowers enticed me to take a walk in my yard to see what was blooming there.

The ornamental fruit trees are blooming. I love how they blossom so gracefully in little clusters that all radiate from a central point.

The next door neighbors have a dozen very large apricot trees in their front yard. Their blossoms are nearly done, but a pink haze still creates floral beauty.

The daffodils still cheerfully greet each day, but they are starting to droop a bit as their season ends. Slowly they are being replaced with the tulips that are just starting to bloom.  The tulips in my flower beds are bright, vibrant, and bloom in a variety of colors.

It's April! And it's a wonderful time of year! I love the first blossoms of spring! Do you have flowers blooming in your yard?

Quilter's Show & Tell

 

One of my favorite parts of our "small town" quilt guild meeting each month is the "show and tell" by group members. Each person brings the quilts they created since last month's meeting, and with a group as prolific as ours, there's a lot to share and see!

Judy made this quilt which is just perfect for spring! Does it remind you of pinwheels and whirligigs?

She also made a table runner with showy machine-embroidered cowboy boots!

Debbie used "jelly rolls" for this darling quilt for her granddaughter. All the little critters are machine-embroidered and are SO cute!

Jane made this purple quilt for her painting instructor. Her teacher provided the large floral blocks, which at one time were curtains in her house! Recycle, reuse, love, and enjoy!

Jane got into "jelly-roll" mode and kids quilts because of Debbie's influence. Her comment about this kind of quilt is that it is "so easy" that she was able to make each top in an hour and a half. See the cute little bugs she machine embroidered in the corners?

Louise shares a pretty quilt she made for a grandchild.

 And look at this stunner! Detailed, patriotic, and showy! I think it's just lovely!

The Gurgling Fish!

It's always fun when a friend comes to visit. Tari's been my friend since we were 15 years old and met at piano lessons. Recently she came for lunch and we had a pleasant time visiting and eating together.

We have birthdays just days apart. Her gift to me is on the table. Can you guess what it is? It's the cobalt blue fish pitcher in the center of the table. It is so whimsical and more! It is called a GurglePot.

It was designed by Matt Ellison and with the pitcher comes this story:  "Years ago, I attended my brother's wedding in a small village in Southern France. Since there were no hotels in town, all guests were matched with French hosts. My hosts spoke no English and I spoke no French which made the dinner conversation a challenge. Long stretches of awkward silences were compounded by the fact that French dinners can last for 3 - 4 hours. There was, however, one saving grace --- a fish shaped water pitcher that 'gurgled'. I found myself drinking more water than wine so I could fill the silent room with 'gurgling' and unite the table with smiles."

The story of the GurglePot continues by Matt saying that he was "inspired by the lighthearted affect of the gurgling sound, I returned home and began sculpting my own version. Ten years, two kids, 15 molds and one typhoon off the coast of China later, I can finally share the GurglePot with you."

How fun it was to have the GurglePot on our luncheon table! It is true. It produces a delightful "gurgling" sound as trapped air is released from the tail after pouring. Gurgle. Gurgle. Smile!